Is there a way to "Clear all contents/delete all transactions" for a fresh start?

[John Morris]

Hi Michael,
  Actually, the "problem" is exactly with GnuCash. Other applications on the Mac do not behave the same way. The issue is not that the Finder does not know what application should be used to open the file. GnuCash files are saved by default with the .gnucash extension and that extension is associated with GnuCash. In fact, when a .gnucash file is double clicked in the finder, GnuCash is the application that is launched, just as when a .aup file is double clicked, Audacity is opened (if it has been installed on that Mac).

  The problem with GnuCash is that when I double click a .gnucash file, GnuCash, in its infinite wisdom, ignores whatever file I double clicked and tries to open the last file it had opened. Not only that, if that last file no longer exists in the same location it was in when it was last opened, GnuCash throws up its virtual hands and obstinately continues to ignore the file the Finder asked it to open. That is a problem with GnuCash and no other application I have ever used on any operating system.

Best,
John

> On Nov 3, 2016, at 9:24 AM, Mike or Penny Novack <mpnovack at mtdata.com> wrote:
> 
> On 11/3/2016 6:54 AM, David T. via gnucash-user wrote:
> 
>> 
>> My initial guess is that you exported, then closed out GnuCash and restarted. GnuCash, however, automatically opens the last file, which would then appear as if your new file had transactions in it. If you are on a Mac, moreover, GnuCash will open the last file even if you double-click the new file in Finder. This is a known issue with GnuCash on the Mac.
>> 
> An issue with gnucash per se?
> 
> Perhaps a more general problem. If a file does not have a file extension OR no association between an extension and the application to be used by default to open that file (when clicked) your computer cannot "know" what application to use. That's true not only with the Mac OS and gnucash but all operating systems and all applications. If by "problem with gnucash on the Mac" what is meant is that the other installations of gnucash do add a file extension to the name and the Mac installation of gnucash does not, or others create the association between extension and application and gnucash does not, a rather minor problem. We very rarely create new sets of books, so no big deal to rename the new file so as to have the expected extension. And if it is the association that is missing, that's a one time fix to add that association manually.
> 
> Michael D Novack